Perfectly Poisoned
by Authoress1001
Summary: Ravenkit's life is seemingly perfect. But all that seems good can change at the whip of a tail. And for Ravenkit, it has changed everything. It has changed her whole life, and her future depends on how she faces it.
1. Chapter 1

I open my eyes, and for the first time, I see the world. Sweet and milky scents surround me; I am warm, a body curls around me, a pelt of gray and white. I push out a paw instinctively. I knead the soft fur and inch closer to drink from a belly. The pelt moves, and a face of love greets me. She is beautiful, her eyes are the color of bluebells, her muzzle narrow and symmetrical. The fur lining her cheeks is silky and pretty. I purr at this radiant figure. Her jowls part to reveal perfectly white teeth, and she makes a sound.

"Hello, Ravenkit. I am your mother, Petalcloud. I will take care of you and your siblings, my sweet kit."

I soon realize that I am not the only one besides my mother in the den. Fuzzy kittens, three of them, lay by me. One wakes up; he is a smoky gray tom-kit. His blue eyes, rimmed with gold, flutter as if for the first time. I realize that this must be his first time opening his eyes; I was the first kit in my litter to see the world. He cocks his head and looks at me. He has a certain scent. Similar to my mother's scent and mine. "Hi." My voice squeaks, not as I expected. Our mother peers down at my gray brother. "Smokekit, I see you've associated yourself with your sister, Ravenkit. Your other sister and brother should open their eyes soon en-" Petalcloud's sentence stops as another pair of eyes open, belonging to a black tom with amber eyes. The outlining of his fur is dark brown, the color lining his eyes and lips, and the rims of his ears. He looks at Smokekit, Petalcloud, and then me. He squeals happily. Our mother meows softly, "Sparrowkit. Meet Smokekit and Ravenkit. They are your littermates, and I am Petalcloud, your mother."

A fourth kit opens her eyes, and sneezes, for her kitten-fluff had tickled her nose. She has a fluffy white pelt, her eyes an icy blue. "Icekit," Petalcloud explains the introductions accordingly.

"Is it just us?" Sparrowkit asks. Our mother shakes her head.

"There are other kits for you to play with, but we'd best not wake them now. They've opened their eyes earlier," she meows softly. She flicks her long tail. "Why don't you explore camp, young ones?"

"Alright!" Smokekit squeals, quietly yet excitedly. Icekit twitches her ears happily, waving her tail.

"Let's explore!" She mews at a low volume. We follow each other out of the small den of brambles. All of our jaws drop when we see how big the camp is. It's huge! Paths are worn into the grass from the cats that walk them. The grass around the path is lush and soft. We see dens, towering over us, as we are small at this age. I smell different scents around me, cats are busy. Sending out patrols, patching up dens, sharing prey with friends. "Wow," I meow. "Camp is so big! So many cats..." My paws pull me toward a mix of sharp and sweet scents, strong and weak scents, smells of plants. My siblings follow me into a den, where a brown, white, and black tabby is piling up leaves, seeds, berries, so many herbs that are unknown to me. Of course, us kits are curious. Sparrowkit tilts his head. "What are you doing?" He asks the tabby. She twitches her whiskers in amusement. She replies, "Well, first things first, I am Leafmist, Medicine Cat of ShadowClan. And I'm sorting herbs." Sparrowkit waves his tail happily, curious about the herbs.

"What are they for?" He questions. Leafmist looks a little surprised at Sparrowkit's interest in herbs. "Well," she explains, pointing to a variety of herbs with her tail. "The little black seeds are to help you sleep, they are called poppy seeds. This is tansy, it's good for scratches, as well as dock and marigold..." Leafmist trails off, for Smokekit looks like he might fall asleep from boredom. "Why don't you go explore some more, youngsters?" Smokekit perks up, and flicks his tail to lead us out. But Sparrowkit flattens his ears and wails, "But I wanna learn about the plants! Leafmist, please teach me more!" Leafmist looks down at my brother. "Of course. Now you others come and get him when your mother calls you inside." Smokekit, Icekit, and I nod in response.

"Okay. We will," I call over my shoulder as we leave. As I step out, Leafmist continues the lesson. "Juniper berries and watermint help when you have a tummy ache, and catmint is very important..."

I bound forward and peek into a den. Only a few figures are curled into their nests, but other scents, a little stale, remain. A cat enters, a black tom with amber eyes. His pelt is long, like furry feathers. He looks and smells familiar, but I can't place a claw on it. He purrs, "You've opened your eyes, my kits! I am your father, Blackfeather."

Now I see the resemblance. His fluffy pelt is like that of Icekit's fur texture, golden eyes belonging to Sparrowkit. His long, agile legs are a trait that I have from him, as I am taller than my brothers and sister. I wonder what I look like, just then. I ask, "What do I look like, father?" Blackfeather chuffs kindly and brings his tail around me, leading me out of the den and showing me to a pool of clear water. My brother and sister sit around it, staring at their reflections. I look down and I see what I appear to others. My eyes are icy blue, around the edges they are silver, and closer to my pupils is rimmed with amber. My sleek frame suggests I am quick, my face that of a clever young cat. My fur is silky, I see my long plume of a tail. I am a shade of black, but if I turn just right, the sunlight makes it look dark blue. My underbelly is white, I have white tipped ears and tail, with a sharp white mark on my forehead, coming off my crown. I think I am beautiful. I look perfect. I twitch my ear happily. My siblings are shocked by their appearances, and Smokekit laughs, "Icekit! You look like a dandelion!"

Icekit flicks her ear. "I do! Ha!" She squeals. I meow curiously, "Let's go over there." I point my tail in the direction of a large, drooping bush that appears to be a den. Smokekit and Icekit follow me to it. We enter, and the voices of older cats, voices raspy, are meowing to one another. Among these cats is a ginger tom, a brown and white she-cat, a black and gray tom, and a pale yellow she-cat. The golden elder gazes at us, the eyes of the others following. "Hello, kits," she rasps. "Welcome to the elders' den." She flicks her tail, introducing the others. "This is Sunflame, Dawnlight, Snakefang, and I'm Honeyflower."

Sunflame chuckles.

"Decided to explore camp, have you?" The ginger tom meows. The brown and white she-cat purrs,"I think kits are so adorable, Sunflame. Kits, would you like to hear a story?" She asks. Snakefang hisses and yawns. "I was about to take a nap, Dawnlight. Not now!"

Dawnlight flicks her tail, both in annoyance and to dismiss his behavior.

"Never mind Snakefang. He's just an old grumpy elder. Now, want to hear that story?" She asks us again. Icekit nods, and Smokekit is already sitting, waiting for a story to be told. Dawnlight looked over to Honeyflower, seeming to know that she had a story in mind. The yellow elder began the tale. "One day, ShadowClan was being attacked by ThunderClan, and they were losing. Many cats had to retreat, but one small apprentice stayed in the midst of battle. He knew that if he proved himself, he would be a warrior. He also knew that StarClan was with him. Suddenly, a lightning bolt flashed down and scared off some of the enemies. Soon the apprentice felt pelts brushing beside him-it was ShadowClan ancestors! They helped him in battle, and he won for ShadowClan. You know who that apprentice was?" Honeyflower meows.

"Who? Who?!" I squeak, amazed. Honeyflower's lips pull into a smile at the corners, and she meows, "Your grandfather, Oakstripe."

"Woah!" Smokekit yowls.

"What happened to him?" I ask.

Honeyflower shakes her head and blinks. "He died a few moons before you were born."

Icekit looks disappointed and sad. "Oh..." She mews in a tone that sounds as if she'd been let down. Honeyflower flicks an ear dismissively.

"No matter," she purrs. The pale golden elder waves a paw. "Go on, youngsters. Enjoy camp," she suggests.

We all bound away and look around for something else to explore. Then, a soft yowl sounds from the nursery. "Time to come in, kits!" It was Petalcloud, calling us in for the sunset. Sparrowkit hears and joins us in the bramble den. Our mother gathers us to clean us up. After she has bathed us, we cuddle close to her belly, having a meal of great amounts. Petalcloud purrs softly, "What a big day you must have had!"

And with that, I close my eyes and drift into a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

I open my eyes to Smokekit prodding me in the side with a soft paw. "We get to meet the other kits today, Ravenkit!" He chimes. "They're outside! Let's go!" Smokekit speeds out of the nursery, and I follow, bursting with energy. About seven other kits are outside, not including me and my siblings. I can tell which litter the kits belong to by their colors and body builds, all three queens rest and supervise nearby. A white she-cat with very light patches of gray introduces herself and her kits. "I am Palemist ," she meows kindly. "And these are my kits, Bluekit, Silverkit, and Mintkit!"

The three she-kits seem nice. Bluekit is a blue-gray kit, with gray eyes. The silvery fur and light eyes fit Silverkit's name perfectly, and Mintkit is white, with a dark gray splash on her pink nose. A creamy tan queen with a few stripes of dark brown gives her introduction. "Hello, young ones. I am Daisyheart. My kits are delighted to meet you!" She purrs sweetly. She waves her tail for her kits to introduce themselves. A tom-kit that looks like his mother, but with hazel eyes instead of green, pipes up. "I am Pebblekit!"

A second kit, a black she-kit with pretty green eyes introduces herself as Pantherkit. The third, a brown and white she-kit, meows, "I'm Fawnkit."

The last kit to speak his name catches my eye. He looks strong for such a young kit, a dark brown tom with even darker, almost black stripes, and striking bright green eyes. His shoulders are broad, his body thin and quick-looking. He looks me in the eyes with a piercing yet friendly glare, and purrs with a friendly voice, "Hello, I am Tigerkit. I have looked forward to meeting you."

I approach the tom-kit and breathe in his scent, like fresh pinesap with a hint of earthiness. I almost shout, but instead I speak coolly, "Hi, I am Ravenkit! Nice to meet you!" I twitch my tail nervously, hoping that Tigerkit doesn't reject me as a friend. Thank StarClan, he nods approvingly. He turns and dashes into the nursery, and for a heartbeat I am afraid he ran away, but he returns to the clearing with balls of moss clamped in his jaws. He drops them, and mews, "Wanna play mossball?" I look at him, confused. I tilt my head and ask, "How do you play?"

The sturdy kit chuckles a bit and waves his siblings over with his tail. "Watch and learn," he instructs.

Pantherkit lets out a yowl of excitement, and the game begins. Tigerkit tosses the ball of moss into the air with a thrust of his head. The ball soars in the air for just a second, and then Pantherkit rears up on her hind paws, batting the ball back up with a front paw. The ball slices to the right, and Pebblekit jerks his head to keep the moss in the air with his nose. The ball flies back to Tigerkit, who tosses it to Fawnkit, and the cycle goes back again. After a few more tosses, Tigerkit yowls, "Next round! Someone toss in another ball!"

Mintkit, who is watching from a few tail-lengths away, fetches a second wad of moss and throws it in to the game. Tigerkit tosses both balls, one going to Pantherkit and one soaring over to Pebblekit. The moss flies and is passed through the air several times, and when both balls find themselves again to Pebblekit, he bats out with his paws, but he misses them by a whisker. The moss balls land on the ground. Tigerkit purrs, "Good try, Pebblekit, but you're out." Pebblekit purrs and steps out of the game. Pantherkit glares at her littermates with a look of challenge and playfulness. "Now it's the three of us, Fawnkit and Tigerkit!" She bellows excitedly. She waves her tail, and Mintkit retrieves a third ball of moss. Pantherkit lets out a little squeak, pummels the moss, and they shoot into the air like a startled crow. One of them makes its way over to Fawnkit, while two fly to Tigerkit, who hits the balls with front paws, rearing up on his hind legs. They keep batting at the moss until eventually, Fawnkit drops two of the balls and is called out. She goes to sit and watch the game as Mintkit tosses in a fourth ball, and the two start the next round. Pantherkit aims and the balls fly, both kits tossing the balls with great accuracy. After a while, Pantherkit throws the moss at Tigerkit, and he leaps up to bat at them, but misses all but one of them. He snickers at his own clumsiness, being a good sport. Pantherkit yowls triumphantly and helps her brother up with a nudge. "Good game," Tigerkit comments. "Great job, Pantherkit!"

The black she-kit mews in delight and accepts the praise. "So basically," Tigerkit looks at me. "You have to keep the moss in the air, and if it falls on the ground, you're out!" I nod in understanding. We try a few games, and I have much trouble, but after a lot of practice, I get the hang of the sport. After a long time that feels like just heartbeats, we are tired and panting, all kits happy. We don't have to be called in, we all just tumble into the nursery, where we drink our fill of milk and cuddle up to our mothers. I smell and feel Tigerkit inching closer to me from his nest. He whispers, "That was a fun day! I like you, Ravenkit. You and me, we're gonna be good friends!" And with that, his head droops after a few seconds, and I feel my own breathing slowing and my head going dark as I fall into pleasant sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I open my icy eyes to hazy light peeking through the nursery's bramble walls. I get up and paw at Petalcloud's belly lightly. She lifts her head and breathes in deeply. "What is it, darling?" She questions.

I duck my head sheepishly. I meow softly, "I can't remember where the dirtplace is, and I need to go..."

She nods and flicks her tail. "You know where the clearing veers off towards the edge of camp?" She asks.

I nod my head. There is a path that leads to the left of camp, and into a protective barrier of thicket. Petalcloud explains the way, and I follow the path, enter the dirtplace, do my business, and leave. I smell a tangy smell, and a fishy, disgusting stench hits my nose, heading for the entrance to the camp. I know something must be done, so I run to Birchstar's den. The leader notices me, with my ruffled fur and panting breath. He looks at me with alarm. "What is wrong, kit? Shouldn't you be in the nursery?"

I nod, and then shake my head. "It's-I smell something. It smells gross, and it's heading towards camp. It smells like cats, but not from ShadowClan," I explain in a hurry. The ShadowClan leader glares angrily. I cower down. "I'm sorry if I upset or bothered you..." I trail off nervously, shaking.

Birchstar's gaze softens. "No, it's not you," he assures. "I think we are being invaded. Good job on reporting the strange smell to me." I nod. My fur fluffs up at the word 'invaded'. I speak in a scared voice, almost a whisper. "What do I do?"

"Tell your mother that RiverClan is invading, and she will know what to do," he orders. I nod grimly and rush to the nursery, explaining the events to Petalcloud. Her pelt bristles and she wakes the other mothers, telling them to get all the kits. She scoops Icekit and Sparrowkit up in her jaws, carrying them away. I am afraid for a heartbeat that she has left Smokekit and me behind, but she returns to grasp us carefully between her teeth. We are taken to a hidden passage, behind the nursery and into a tunnel that smells fowl. We are brought together with our siblings, and Petalcloud orders us to stay while she helps the other queens with their kits. While we wait, I feel a rumbling, and a roaring sound booms above our heads. I cower next to my brothers and sister. I smell the scent of Petalcloud and the other queens and kits, mixed in with the rank smell of the tunnel. "What's that sound," I shiver as I speak, "And that smell?"

My mother brushes her tail over my back, soothing me. "We are under the Thunderpath, and the monsters always run on it. The smell is just the scent they give off, and sometimes there are puddles of their nasty-smelling leavings on the Thunderpath. The twolegs only built it a few moons before you were born, so a lot of monsters use this new path to get around." She purrs grimly. "You're okay, my kits. You'll be fine."

Icekit hisses, "Why are we even in here? It's scary!" Petalcloud shakes her head, and hushes the fluffy she-kit by placing the tips of her tail over her mouth. Tigerkit stumbles toward me in the dim lighting.

I hear yowls of anger and screeches of pain. Sounds of battle fill my ears and echo from the camp. I shiver in fear. What is the outcome of this? I feel dizzy when I hear a wail of sadness from a clanmate. I squeeze my eyes shut and try not to think of what is happening. I give in to the dizziness and feel my head slump forward, dragging me to the darkness of unconsciousness.

"Ravenkit? Ravenkit, please be alright!" I hear the words, but I feel hazy and my head is pounding. I don't even know who is speaking to me; I am stuck in a strange state. I shake my head and try to clear my mind. My vision is normal again, but I still feel light. My mother stands over me, and the smell of the monsters are faded. We are in the camp, the medicine den, I realize. I breathe in and choke on the scent of blood.

"What happened?" I ask. Petalcloud flicks her tail. "It's over, is all that matters. We don't need to relive the scene." She mews. I nod and look around. Leafmist looks at me from her mixing of herbs.

"You were asleep for a day," the medicine cat informs me. "Be glad you missed the gore, young kit."

I don't reply, but I get to my paws and walk steadily to the nursery. On my way passing, I see a few bodies in the middle of the clearing. A brown apprentice called Pinepaw, a gray warrior known as Cinderfang, and a black, longfurred body. I rush to the cat, and later look into the amber eyes of my father. I nudge him, and he does not move. I push him with my paws. "Blackfeather, wake up! Come on, you can't sleep here," I meow.

He will not wake up. "Blackfeather, get up! Get up, dad!" I yowl, starting to feel alarmed.

This time I wail, "Help! He won't wake up! Please, get him up!" Birchstar steps up behind me and swivels his head side to side. "It's no use. He is gone. I'm sorry, young one."

My eyes burn with sadness and denial. I thrust myself to lay over my father, and I stay like that until they take him away, to be buried under the earth.


	4. Chapter 4

My eyes open to see Pantherkit in my face. She pants, "We get to be apprentices today! Hurry, come on!"

Over the past few moons, Pantherkit, Tigerkit, and a lot of the other kits have been my good friends, supporting me and making my life so much more fun. Tigerkit yips, "Finally! I'm going to be one of the best warriors ShadowClan has ever seen!"

I snort with laughter. "Remember," I chide. "We are becoming APPRENTICES, not full grown warriors, silly!" I wave my tail happily, and we all bound out of the den. So many kits to assign mentors to! Birchstar looks down invitingly from the stump in the hollow. All cats are gathered below. Our numbers have grown since the past generations. The Clan chatters and gossips, until our leader holds up a paw, signaling for silence.

"Thank you," the brown and black-striped tom begins. "Today our kits-many of them, I might add-

are ready to take the first step and place their paws on their chosen paths. Please step forward, Bluekit."

The kits are called one by one, and I cheer for each of them. It is down to just me, Tigerkit, and Sparrowkit now. I lift my head with an encouraging signal as Tigerkit steps up. His muscles ripple with excitement as our leader speaks the words. "I do." I hear Tigerkit meow. Birchstar nods and gazes down at the young tom.

Birchstar announces that Wolfclaw is his new mentor. I tilt my head into the air and yowl, "Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw!" The new apprentice approaches me and mews, "Thanks! And good luck."

The ShadowClan leader flicks his ear, and Tigerpaw nudges me forward. I stand by the stump where our leader announces the ceremony. "Ravenkit," the strong leader meows to me. "You have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed."

I feel my heart beating inside my chest, I am so excited! Birchstar continues, "Do you promise to train to the best of your abilities and follow the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" His yellow gaze strikes mine, and I do not reply for a heartbeat. I am thinking of what he expects of me. I must follow the path of a warrior, and train, hunt, and fight for ShadowClan, even if I die doing so. I breathe in deeply and my voice shakes a little as I accept my task. "I do."

Our leader nods. "Then by the approval of StarClan, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as Ravenpaw. You will be mentored by Lightstep. I hope that she passes down all she has learned and that you will find yourself, and become the best cat you can be."

Lightstep pads towards me, her paws making no sound as she glides through the crowd of cats and over to stand before me. The pretty tortoiseshell looks at me with warm green eyes. I wait for her cue, and then touch noses with her. "You'll do great!" She whispers.

Finally, it is Sparrowkit's turn. Birchstar parts his jaws to announce the ceremony, but Sparrowkit interrupts. "I wish to say something," he declares. Our leader waves a paw in acceptance.

Sparrowkit lifts his head proudly, as if he thinks he is very important. "I wish to follow the path of a medicine cat." My brother speaks wisely. I hadn't realized how mature and intelligent he had grown. Of course, I should have known, with all the time he spent in the medicine clearing as a kit.

"Then that is your choice," the ShadowClan leader replies. "You will train to be a medicine cat. I hope Leafmist will pass on all of her knowledge, both in healing and spiritual matters, down to you."

The tabby medicine cat approaches with an obliged look on her face. She touches noses with her new apprentice. Now every cat has a mentor. We are all ready to follow our destinies. We are the future of our Clan.


	5. Chapter 5

I wake up and habitually reach my paws out to feel my mother. She is not there. My toes touch Tigerpaw, who lies close to me. I purr and my stomach flutters. We are apprentices now, I think to myself. I go ahead and wake the dark tom up with a soft nuzzle. He opens his lively green eyes and exclaims excitedly, waking the other new apprentices. "Why did you have to wake us up, Tigerkit?" Bluepaw grumbles. Tigerpaw huffs in a cocky way, "I'm TigerPAW now, Bluepaw!"

The blue-silver she-cat retorts, "Well at least I don't go bragging around about how I'm the 'best cat ever'.

You do that all the time!" She chuckles in a playful way.

Tigerpaw tosses his head and with an enthusiastic grin meows, "Let's go see if we can explore the territory!"

All ten young cats, including me, get to our paws and step into the sunlight. I gaze down at my paws, seeing the dark blue shine of my legs when I move it into the sun's rays. Warriors are busy, sorting out patrols and bringing in fresh-kill, eating and gossiping in the clearing. So peaceful, it seems. Some of our mentors are in the clearing, waking up and eating. I turn my head at the smell of fresh hunted prey, and then see Lightstep bringing in cats from a hunting party. Her name suits her well, for she must be very graceful and fast, to have caught what she did. She carries in her jaws two sparrows, a squirrel, and three mice. She needed help though, because she drops a sparrow and her squirrel, and Wolfclaw picks it up for her. They bring it to the fresh-kill pile, and Lightstep walks up to me. "Hey, apprentice," she greets me. I nod to her and mew respectively, "Good morning, Lightstep!" My mentor waves her tail.

"Why don't you all eat, and then we can tour the territory," she meows. I nod and bound to the fresh-kill pile, and take one of the large freshly hunted sparrows. I begin to bite into it, and then think of Tigerpaw. I carry it over to see him sitting with Silverpaw, chatting about apprentice things. "Redpaw says that she always has to clean out dens," the silver apprentice meows. Tigerpaw replies, "Well I don't look forward to that, but I sure am excited to fight and hunt!" I think that I should leave them to talk. I pad off with my tail drooping. I kind of like Tigerpaw, and I don't know why, but seeing him with another she-cat makes me feel a little angry, and my heart feels like it's been clawed. I lay in the shade by the medicine den, and eat my share alone.

After I've had my meal, I walk into the middle of the clearing and look for my mentor. I hear her call to me and I run over to where she is by the entrance to the camp. Tigerpaw and his mentor pad over to us, as well as Liontail and his apprentice, Mintpaw. We let the older cats lead us out of camp, into the territory beyond the camp where we used to be confined. We walk in silence for a while, until Mintpaw comments, "This is a lot of land!" I nod and Tigerpaw bounces on his paws, "Yes, and ShadowClan owns it all!"

We come to a clearing with areas of grass that have been worn. The indented grass is a dry yellow color, standing out from the greener stalks around them. "This is a place where twolegs come during Greenleaf,"

Wolfclaw explains. "It's not worth hunting in too much, but sometimes mice come here. The twolegs aren't here until late Newleaf and during Greenleaf, but you won't have to worry about that for a moon or so."

Liontail nods and meows, "Why don't we show them to the Pine Hollow?"

The other older cats agree, and we head the other way, making our way through tall pine trees. "Hey, Ravenpaw?" Tigerpaw asks.

I open my jaws and meow softly, "What?" The broad tom shrugs and shakes his head.

"Nothing, never mind." I tip my head curiously. What could he have wanted? We soon come to a small grassy area, where the pines circle around it, strangely not growing inside the circle.

The smell of earth and animals fill my nostrils, I breathe in the scent contentedly. I see Tigerpaw lifting his head, and I know he likes the forest smell too. "Hunting is good here, but the area is also good for battle training," informs Lightstep. "Would you like to see a move before we move on?"

I shake my head up and down eagerly. "Yes, oh yes! Yes please!" Tigerpaw bounces up and down as he brightens up. Mintpaw looks up in excitement. "That would be wonderful!" She exclaims.

Lightstep dips her head. "Okay. Liontail, Why don't we demonstrate the classic Striking Storm?"

Liontail lashes his tail as if he were already prepared for a full on attack. Lightstep dashes out of the clearing without a sound, and I gasp. "Why did she run away?" I ask. Liontail crouches and shakes his head. "It's all part of the attack, just you wait."

A heartbeat after those words escape his mouth, Lightstep flings down from above, and a branch from a high tree bounces as she leaps off. I can't believe how she did that so quietly! My mentor slams her paw on Liontail's head, her claws sheathed as not to hurt her clanmate. Liontail wobbles his head dizzily, and turns to return the attack. He rears up to bring his paws down on Lightstep's head, but she strikes out at his exposed belly, and he lands on his back. I hear a click as the tawny warrior's spine pops. He chuckles, "Ah, my back has been stiff for moons!"

Lightstep grins at him, and then she turns to Mintpaw, Tigerpaw, and me. "So that is what you will have learned after a lot of training, and more," she purrs. Mintpaw squeals astonishment, and Tigerpaw exhales excitedly. I just stare in silence, amazed at what had happened. Wolfclaw tosses his head as a signal to head back to camp. When we arrive at our camp, I am exhausted from the trek. I don't stop to eat or tell anyone about my day. I head straight to the apprentices' den, flop down in my nest, and close my eyes, welcoming the sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

"Invasion! RiverClan is invading again!" The words wake me up. It had been several moons since RiverClan had brought battle upon ShadowClan, and I'd only been an apprentice for about three or four moons. Tigerpaw leaps to his paws and dashes out of the den, hurtling himself into the battle. I follow, alarmed. I observe the scene around me. Redfern, a newly made warrior, fights against two other cats. A dark brown tom leaps upon me, and I am pinned. I thrust my paws and claws up into his belly, and he quickly turns tail and streaks away. What a coward. A white she-cat hurdles herself towards me, but I am awake and ready. I leap over her, and swing my paw out, striking her face. She yowls and rears up to slash, but I leap and pin her, digging my claws into her exposed stomach. Her face twists in pain, and I decide that she should have a chance to escape.

"Had enough, fish-breath?" I screech. She nods her head vigorously, and I loosen my grip to let her slide away and hurtle out of the clearing. I see a larger black tom cornering Tigerpaw. I quickly bound over and kick his side, and the invader is thrown to the ground. I stand side by side with Tigerpaw, ready to defend him. "Are you okay?" He asks me. I nod, and we both slash out at the black cat, working together to tear at his face and making sure he doesn't have enough time to strike back. The tom lifts his paw to take a blow to my head, and when he does, I stretch my head out and grip it in my teeth. I bite down hard, and he yowls in pain and withdraws his paw, streaking off out of the camp. Tigerpaw looks at me. "Nice!" He praises my defense move. Two RiverClan apprentices charge for us, striding at the same time, working together. Tigerpaw manages to tear one's ear with a bite, and he runs. Tigerpaw huffs and gives me a nod before charging off back into battle. The she-cat before me is about my size, almost a warrior. Her eyes are cold with hatred. I aim and try to score her face, but she ducks, thrusting her paws out to where I fall to the ground. She lands on me, pinning me down. She digs her claws into my neck. I know what she is doing, she is trying to kill me. I do the only thing I can. I relax my body and give a false dramatic exhale, keeping enough breath to fool my opponent. She loosens her grip, smirking with pride in her "kill". At that moment, I thrust up and tumble over so that I am on top of her. I rip my claws down her throat, and before I know it, she is dead. I didn't mean to. I got scared, and defended myself. I look at the eyes of the cat, and she stares past me, at a place where I cannot see. I hope she doesn't try to harm me from StarClan. I know she will go to StarClan, because I know she was only following orders from her leader. She was loyal, and had done what she had meant to do, almost. The other invaders flee around us, and a white tom with a gray paw leaps to the cat I'd killed. He spreads his body across hers, cradling her. "I'm sorry..." I offer.

The tom growls, "You...You killed my daughter. I will kill every single one of your ShadowClan filth! I swear on my life, I will shred you!"

He drags the body of his daughter across the clearing, and another warrior helps him. They take the body with difficulty, blood smearing on the forest floor. I stand and stare in shock and horror. Tigerpaw slides in beside me, and rests his tail on my back to give some comfort. I respond by pressing against him, letting his tail go over my back soothingly. "It's alright," Tigerpaw assures. "You were just defending yourself. The code says that if it's necessary, then it must be done."

I breathe in deeply, drawing in Tigerpaw's fresh pine scent, and exhale, letting my worries go out like that breath. "I know. Thank you," I meow finally. "But what reason does RiverClan have for attacking us like this?"

"I have no idea," replies Tigerpaw. Sparrowpaw steps up to me, sniffing me all around.

"What are you doing?" I ask my brother. "Checking for wounds," the dark brown apprentice replies.

I nod my head, just now realizing the throbbing pain of my wounds. Sparrowpaw shakes his head.

"Your throat is badly scratched, and you've got a nasty bite on your tail. I shall have to put some salve on it." I let my brother lead me to the medicine clearing, where he sits me down and starts applying a solution that must have been prepared earlier onto my wounds. It stings a little, but feels good after the stinging wears off. "Just Marigold, dock leaf, and Tansy to prevent infection..." he explains while applying the salve.

After my wounds have been treated, I step out of the medicine clearing, looking around for my Clanmates. I see Icepaw, her white fur patched with dried crimson blood. I streak over to her side. "Icepaw! Are you okay? " my voice is shrill with worry. I sniff at her pelt, relaxing a bit as I find out that most of the blood is not her own. "Yea, I just about mauled a RiverClan cat. They were very fierce! They weren't just fighting, they were trying to kill!" She snarls.

I nod. "Well, you should get cleaned up before someone sees you and freaks out like I did," I meow, half joking. "And get any wounds you have checked out." The white apprentice dips her head and I turn, and as I do I see Smokepaw heading towards me. "Are you okay? Icepaw! You-"

"Most of the blood is RiverClan's." Icepaw explains.

Smokepaw nods, breathing deeply. Sparrowpaw takes care of the other cats, including Icepaw, and retreats into the medicine den, exhausted from running around and tending to wounds. I head to the warriors' den to see my mother stretched out in her nest. Her eyes are dark and sullen; she lets out a sigh of sadness.

"Petalcloud," I lean towards her and lick her head. "Everything is fine now, everything's taken care of..."

I stroke her shoulder with my tongue, soothing her anxieties.

"Ravenpaw," the pretty white and gray she-cat mews at last. She raises her head wearily, and I can see the outstretched marks of claw wounds coming from her belly to her throat. "You're so brave, my daughter. Just like your father. You remember Blackfeather, don't you?" Her blue eyes gleam and she rests her head against me.

"Of course," I reply, and Petalcloud goes on.

"Well, I sure miss him. He hunts with StarClan now. I'm sure he's watching over us all right now..." She yawns and her eyelids close. I lay there until her breath steadies and I know she is asleep, then I gently stand and pad to the apprentices' den, where I settle into my own bed of moss. I stare up at the bramble ceiling, unable to sleep. I stay like that for what seems like forever, until finally, my eyes droop and I fall into a state of dreaming.

**Note: I'd really appurreaciate it if more people would review. It would help a lot. :3**

** Thank Mew Fur Reading, You're a Purrfect Audience! ~ Alluri**


	7. Chapter 7

My vision clears and I look around me. The surroundings are beautiful; tall trees with green leaves and pink buds, birds chirping all around... It's so peaceful. I hear the steady trickling of water, and I turn my head to see a clear stream running smoothly nearby.

A figure approaches me, the figure of a cat. His black fur is shining with health, his golden eyes gleaming with pride. He looks strong, and his fur seems to glow, like stars. I immediately recognize the feathery-furred tom. "Blackfeather!" I exclaim, bounding up to my father and rubbing my cheek along his.

"Ravenpaw, my daughter," he meowed wisely. "I've been watching over you, your mother, and your siblings. I am very proud of you."

"Father, I miss you, so much! Petalcloud does, too. She's been sad since the invasions started to get worse..." I trail off, a churning I'm my stomach telling me to not bring up the subject of my sullen mother.

"I know things seem like they are bad, but trust me. You must be brave. You have a great destiny before you, and it is up to you whether it will be a good or a bad one..." Blackfeather licks the top of my head, and then backs away. He begins to fade, but before I wake up, I hear these words: "Be strong, Ravenpaw, be strong!"

I wake to the golden lights streaming through the branches of the walls that make up the den. The dream still in my mind, I purr. It was good to see my father again, and his words had filled me with hope. I rise to my paws, letting a yawn escape from my jaws.

"Ravenpaw!" A voice calls to me. I recognise it as Lightstep, and I make my way out of the den. "Yes, Lightstep?" I answer, and the tortoiseshell warrior comes to stand in front of me. "We will be hunting today," she explained. "Get some prey in your stomach, and we'll head out with a few others."

I nod and pick up a mouse from the fresh-kill pile, and gobble it down within a few moments. My ear twitches contentedly, and I pad to the entrance of camp, waiting for the other cats to come. Soon enough, they pad towards me. Five cats, one of them being Lightstep, lift their heads, ready to train.

There is Pantherpaw, with her mentor Emberfur, Pebblepaw and Vinetail, and Silverpaw alongside Sageleaf. The mentors take the lead, us apprentices trailing behind and chattering to one another. "I bet I can catch the biggest piece of prey!" Boasted Silverpaw, smirking in the thought of ripping her claws through an animal. I chuckle and continue walking.

Once we are in the more forested area of the territory, Lightstep speaks out, "Today you will be practicing stalking and hunting techniques that you've previously been taught. Try hard, and do your best. " We nod, my tail lashing against the forest floor in excitement.

"We are going to start our practice today with some competition," Vinetail adds. "You will each head into a different direction, and when you hear the signal-which will be two yowls- you will return. The apprentice with the most prey wins. By the most prey I mean higher in number, and bigger size in animal. Spread out!" He orders, and we disperse.

I veer left, seeking the shadows of trees and bushes that tower above. I notice that Silverpaw heads right, Pebblepaw a bit farther down than her, and Pantherpaw to the opposite of Pebblepaw.

I lift my head and take in a deep breath, observing the scents that surround me. I listen, as well, and look. I let the nature melt into me, allow it to become part of me. My ear swivels to hear the chirrup of a crow. I see the dark feathered creature perched upon a branch, and I slither towards it, silent as a butterfly flapping its graceful wings.

I dig my claws into the tree, getting a good grip as I climb. The bird is busy picking at a caterpillar that teases it from a safe hole in the pine. I make my moves quicker, while at the same time making sure I don't fall. I prepare to leap, my joints ready. I spring forward and the bird let's out a terrified caw, but I am too fast. I drag it down with my teeth and hold it to the branch, where I bite its neck swiftly.

I smile, pleased with my capture. I leap down the tall tree, landing smoothly on the ground. I move on after I bury the prey I've caught. I let my eyes scan over the landscape, my scent and hearing working as well. My icy blue eyes spot a rabbit peaking out of its hole, and then gingerly scurrying out further to nibble at a patch of clover. I know that the animal will hear me before seeing or smelling me, so I creep up on it with the most careful of pawsteps.

I dash forward when I am about a tail-length away from the fat rabbit. I leap into the air, preparing to crash down on it and I'll it, but before I even land, the animal begins to streak away. I pant as I spring myself further and further, determined to catch this creature.

It feels like forever before I finally corner the rabbit up between a boulder and a thick tree. I crack its spine with a blow from my paw. It is paralysed, and I strike forward to nip the base of its neck. Thank StarClan! I caught it! On my way to bury the rabbit and continue, I scent a mouse sitting on a tree root. I drop the rabbit and start to advance on it...

Then two yowls split into the air and the small brown rodent scampers away. I pick up the sparrow, and I drag the two pieces of prey to the original spot that we dispersed from. The mentors looked approvingly at all of our catches. "Great work!" Emberfur praises. I smile.

Pebbles tilts his head in thought. He had caught only two measly shrews. Pantherpaw had managed a squirrel, and Silverpaw lifts her head up in pride at her bounty. Her expression was as if she was better than the rest of us! I catch a glance at her kill. Two finches, a squirrel, and a rabbit!

"Silverpaw wins the challenge," announces Sageleaf.

"Now, moving on..."

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** Thank Mew Fur Reading! 3~ Alluri **


	8. Chapter 8

I have patrol duty today. Petalcloud decided to join us, and it makes me happy that she is out and about. Lightstep also invited Bluepaw and Jaymask. As we calmly check the borders, marking the scent line as well, I smell a rotten scent. It is laced with RiverClan smell. I go to check it out.

Just across the RiverClan border, at least a few steps into ShadowClan land, lies a mangled black body. It is small and feathered, but terribly rotted. My lips curl into a snarl as I realise what it is. My eyes grow wide in surprise. For some reason, this scares me.

I let out a shriek, and the others come racing to my sides. "It's just stolen prey," Bluepaw meows. I shake my head and continue to stare at the dead animal. The bird that is deteriorating before me is none other than the rotting body of a raven.

After insisting that we bring the raven to camp for inspection, the others give in. I race into the medicine den with the bird hanging from my jaws. Leafmist scowls in disgust. "Why did you bring crow-food here?" She demands. But Sparrowpaw has a different reaction.

The medicine cat apprentice takes the raven from me, laying it on the ground. "It is an omen!" He exclaims. "An omen, meant for you, Ravenpaw!" I am startled by this. Could a rotting, ragged dead raven mean my future?

"B-but what does it mean?" I question warily. Sparrowpaw's eyes gleam with an epic knowledge.

"You must stay strong, Ravenpaw. Work hard to fulfill your destiny. Should you choose the wrong path," he warns, gesturing his paw to the dead bird. "Your fate will not end well..."

I dash out of camp, seeking the peaceful pine forest. I have to think about this, I have to calm my whirling thoughts. I eventually find myself in the Pine Hollow, and I plant myself down, sitting with my feathery tail curled around my paws.

Suddenly, I gasp. A raven perches on a branch above. It lets out a caw. Another comes along, and another, and another... A whole flock of ravens are crying out now. A whole slew of them, too many to count. Their loud sounds wave over me, filling me with a strong and tingling energy.

I open my eyes. I lay stretched out in the hollow. No ravens are to be seen, and yet I still hear their song ringing in my ears. It was a dream, and yet it felt so real. I slip back into camp and tell Sparrowpaw about my dream in the Pine Hollow. He mews, "StarClan must have an eye out for you, sending omen after omen!" I tip my head at this.

"But there has only been two," I reply in a hushed tone. The black tom shakes his head. "Oh, but there have been many more."


	9. Chapter 9

"Wha- What do you mean?" I stammer, staring at my brother in confusion. Sparrowpaw flicks his ear and looks into my eyes grimly.

"Well... When I first became the medicine cat apprentice, I saw you walking around camp, and you had a raven's feather tucked into your fur." He explains the first incident. "Then, one day while collecting herbs, a raven swooped down and snatched the tansy right from my jaws... And add the recent omens to, well-" he motions with his tail to above my head, where an ebony raven steadies itself in the air, keeping a close watch on me, as if it is guarding me. I nod in understanding. "But is my fate a good one or a bad one?" I ask my littermate anxiously. Sparrowpaw's ear twitches as if expecting me to know this.

"Well, that's really up to you," he replies before Leafmist summons him to sort the herbs. Suddenly, I see Tigerpaw enter the camp with prey in his jaws, Silverpaw just behind him. I watch as they place the prey on the pile, and my heart almost beats into my brain as Tigerpaw gazes over at me nonchalantly. I gather up the courage to walk over to him. I am about to ask if he'd go on a walk with me, when Silverpaw asks him to share prey with her. The striped tom accepts, carrying a squirrel over to a sunny spot in camp, where he sits with the beautiful she-cat, her fur the color of spring rain, or a star in the sky. Her crystalline blue eyes sparkle in the darkening light.

Depressed by this defeat, I enter the apprentice's den and lie down, too upset to eat. I really like Tigerpaw, and it pains me to see him interested with another cat. I guess I shouldn't be jealous; if anything I should be happy with them. I cannot stop thinking about this, and by the time that the light fades, casting a blanket of stars across the sky for the night and all cats are in their nests fast asleep. My green eyes still stare up at the bramble wall of the den, unable to calm my thoughts. It takes forever to fall into unconsciousness...

I wake up into a very dark place. The trees are bare and black, the air chilled and unclear. Fog coats the ground, blocking the view of my paws. The floor of this place feels hard and uncomfortable. It appears to still be night. I don't know exactly where I am. I gaze around, frightened by the eerie silence of the scene.

Suddenly, I smell an unfamiliar yet pleasant scent. It smells like dew resting upon a rose petal, and the scent is peaceful and beautiful. And that is when a figure appears. It is the sleek pelt of a deep crimson she-cat. Her tail is long and she holds it high, as if of high rank. Her eyes are shocking: a striking vibrant neon purple, like a streak of lightning tearing through a stormy night. Her ears are erect and her claws unsheathed, the poise of a very important being.

"Hello, Ravenpaw," she speaks. Her voice is silky and smooth as the downy coating of a bird's newborn baby.

"I welcome you to the Forest of Night. I am Velvetwing, and I suppose you could call me the leader of this place. Now, I know it might not look appealing, but this is the place where cats become strong. I have been watching you, and I noticed that you could use a little assistance in your life," she explains.

I'm not so sure about this. Something seems underhanded, not right. Alas, I suppose I have to admit that my life is not as perfect as it started out to be. "What kind of help?" I question.

"Oh, all sorts. I can make your dreams come true. I can assist in making you stronger, so that you can protect your Clan. I could get you far. You could become a leader! You could, say, win the heart of the tom you desire, hmm?" She flashes me a smile of temptation. That last part catches me off guard. I desperately want Tigerpaw to like me the same way I like him! Plus, she mentioned defending my Clan! So she can't be that bad... And yet something still feels startlingly wrong.

"How can I be sure that I am able to trust you?" I give the conniving cat a look of uncertainty. She simply brushes her pelt against mine, her tail petting my back reassuringly. She gives my ear a gentle lick.

"Darling, I've been watching you since you've been born. And I have the ability to hear the thoughts of others, so I know you're a bit unsure of yourself. I also know that you and your mother are struggling with the death of your father, not to mention what your Clanmates think! They believe that your poor mother is going insane, and she gives reason for them to think so. She drones on, hardly paying any attention to things, daydreaming and muttering to herself, hardly being active any more..."

"My mother is just going through a bit of grief, that's all!" I fire back defensively.

"And yet others think you're not as good as them. Especially Silverpaw, who knows she can take Tigerpaw any time she wants. Don't you want to be better than that show-off?" She tilts her head at me.

"Of course I do!" I practically shout. I cannot stand being undermined by others.

"Then I'll help you with that. If you come to me in your dreams every night, I will make you better. I'll build you into a cat that nobody can take down. You'll be undefeated, invincible! I will lead you to glory! You can trust me, I promise. As long as you're loyal. You _are _loyal,aren't you?" She glares at me with her electric eyes.

"Yes, yes I am," I nod, puffing my chest out. This is the chance of a life time! I'm so lucky to have this opportunity! From now on, I decide, I shall be a cat of the Forest of Night.


	10. Chapter 10

"Ravenpaw, wake up!" A claw rakes down my side.

"Ouch!" I wail. "What was that for?"

Silverpaw smirks back at me, with a fake glare of innocence. "Oops. My claws must have slipped out..." she murmurs. "Anyways, we have a training session. Make an attempt to get off your lazy behind and come, won't you?" She growls, as if I were the laziest apprentice in camp.

"What are you meowing about? I always attend the sessions!" I retort. "Well, you didn't attend yesterday. You were fast asleep!" She snickers.

"Are you two coming or not?" Lightstep asks, peering in from the entrance to the den

"Of course I am. I'm not sure about Ravenpaw over here, though," Silverpaw taunts, her radiant star-colored fur shining in a beam of sunlight.

"Never mind her, Ravenpaw. Let's go," Lightstep meows, her tail flicking. I make an effort to be quicker than my cocky peer, dashing in front of Silverpaw as I follow my mentor out to the training hollow. Sageleaf is there as well, sitting alongside Vinetail. "Where's Pebblepaw?" I inquire, tipping my head to one side.

"Well, he-" Vinetail mrrows with laughter as Pebblepaw explodes from a shrub, a twig clutched in his mouth. "I am Jayfeather, the old, wise medicine cat of ThunderClan. I am here to teach you how to wave a stick properly!" He jokes, stomping around like a fool. "First, you must hold it high, for the stick is a powerful thing that must be worshipped! And now, we wave it in a magical circle, like so!" He churns his head in a big circular motion, the twig twirling like a snake's tail.

"Now, now," meows Sageleaf, her black-tipped ears twitching with amusement. "We shouldn't be parading about, making fun of an important cat of Clan history. Shall we get on with our lesson?"

We all nod in unison. Lightstep takes a step forward to announce the assignment.

"Today, you will be practicing battle techniques that you've all learned about a moon ago. Since the other apprentice's are either on patrol or have other duties, we are left with an uneven number of 'paws. So, because of that, we have a guest coming who will assist in-"

"I'm here!" A deep voice sounds from across the hollow.

"Birchstar!" I purr. "You're going to help us train?"

"Of course," he replies in a kind tone. "A leader is always there for his Clanmates. Now, two of you can square off, while I'll take on one other apprentice. Don't worry, you'll all get a turn with me," he promises.

"Awesome!" Pebblepaw exclaims. "Me first! Me first!"

Birchstar holds his tail up. "Now, a warrior is always patient. Silverpaw, how about you?"

"Oh, yes, please!" The stuck-up she-cat meows. The leader crouches, the faint gray apprentice following suit. He leaps for her, but she easily slides away from him, dodging the attack. The bigger cat succeeds when he sticks out a leg and trips her up. Silverpaw is pinned, but she uses her size advantage to wriggle out from under him.

I observe this from my peripheral vision as I am faced with Pebblepaw. The slightly larger tom smirks light-heartedly. He leaps high into the air, his trajectory a bit too much. I tuck and roll under him, the tan cat hitting the ground with a soft thud. He chuckles a bit.

"Nice," he compliments, making another attempt to catch me unawares by charging into me. His shoulder locks with my chest, and I stumble back, springing back up immediately. I nod as I bring a paw down on his head, right between the ears.

"You, too!" And I mean it. It's obvious that he tries his best during lessons.

After the scrimmage, we switch off and it is my turn with Birchstar. He beats me, although he gives me praise for my strong effort. Then, Silverpaw let's a slight growl emit from her chest as she glares at me. She flashes her teeth, tail lashing.

She rushes forward, pinning me under her poised paws. She is lithe and slim, yet very powerful. Her claws unsheathe, and I feel the sharp tips pressing into my shoulders. I let out a mew of surprise.

"No claws!" I hiss, and her ears twitch in annoyance. I whip upwards, using the force of my body to knock her away. I've learned much from Velvetwing, and I am very tempted to put an end to the snooty she-cat before me. Her soft belly is exposed. I could do it, right now. But it is against the code. And there are other cats around.

I spring up and land on her, satisfaction rushing through me as I hear the breath knocked out from her lungs. She lets out a whine.

"She's trying to kill me!" Silverpaw rasps, and I roll my eyes. Lightstep gives me a look of disappointment.

"It was probably an accident," she meows simply. "But in the future, be a little more careful, Ravenpaw."

I nod, anger boiling inside of me.

"Why do you hate me so much?" I mew sharply, the silver apprentice taken aback. Her ears flatten, and I can see the exposed skin on the insides of the hearing appendages growing a bit pink from embarrassment. Silverpaw narrows her blue eyes.

"I've hated you since the day I met you," she seethes, quiet as to not allow the other cats to overhear.

"You were perfect! I knew from the moment Tigerpaw saw you that you would steal him from me. So I have to ruin your reputation, you see. Make you inferior, so that Tigerpaw likes me instead of you. I remember your weak father dying. I let him... I was standing there as he was killed by a RiverClan cat."

I screech, toppling onto her. "You're lying! You're just saying that! Nobody would ever do that!"

"But I did," a taunting grin spreads across her face. I know she is satisfied at my anger. "I wanted you to be too sad, too worried about your mother to interfere with Tigerpaw and me."

I take my claws across her face. She whimpers. Liontail knocks me over, and Silverpaw rises to her paws.

"That was extremely uncalled for, Ravenpaw! You know better than that. There is no reason to harm a Clanmate, ever!" He scolds, cuffing me on the ear.

"Now off to camp with you, and clean out the elders' bedding!"

My head hangs low as I sulk off. I hate Silverpaw. I hate her! I wish she would just die! My thoughts surprise me, but I know it's true. She crossed the line. And I wanted Silverpaw to die.


	11. Author's Note!

**Okay. I'm sorry that this isn't actually a chapter, but I will need more reviews and followers in order to have something to write for! I don't want to put all of my time and energy towards something that isn't really used or wanted. Thanks a bunch to those who do review!**


	12. Chapter 11

"Again, Ravenpaw!" Velvetwing hisses in annoyance and gives me a scratch on my flank.

"I'm trying!" I retort, panting. I attempt to lunge again, but my nighttime mentor catches my gaze that was aimed for her throat.

"You can do better! I know you can," Velvetwing encourages. "In fact, I think we can take it up a notch... Rowanpaw, some assistance, if you will?" She calls, her electric eyes bright.

A dark brown tom with a white underbelly, paws, muzzle, and tail-tip emerges from the shadows on cue. His fur is thick and feathery, giving him the look of a much larger cat than he probably is. He is like no other cat I've ever seen. He appears powerful and masculine, and it surprises me when he parts his jaws.

"Ah, so this is Ravenpaw, eh?" He mews. His voice is young and sharp. Rowanpaw's hazel eyes look me over, and he smirks. I feel my fur prick.

"Yes, it is. Now, why don't you two have a little battle. Remember to use claws, but don't kill each other!" The crimson leader orders.

I immediately pounce upon the tom, Velvetwing stepping aside to leave space. I try to dig my claws into his belly, but his giant mass of fur acts as a shield against the attack. I bite down into his scruff, and I get the mild reaction of a muffled yowl.

Rowanpaw flashes upwards, flinging me off of him. He charges at me, eyes wild with the attack. He quickly pins me down and his weight crushes me. I struggle to breathe through his smothering fur. I let my paws shoot out stiffly, kicking sharply into his belly. I gain control as his expression turns into one of astonishment.

"Not bad," he chuffs. "You're probably about the same age as me... nine moons, I'd guess?"

"_Nine_ moons?" I laugh. "You look like you'd take up more than three nests in the warriors' den!"

Velvetwing cuts in. "You both are very advanced for your age. Now if you'd stop carrying on this little chitchat like two finches on a branch in Newleaf..." She rolls her eyes. "It's morning. Return to your Clans."

I gaze up at the ceiling of the thorny den. My muscles are achy and tight, and I groan as I stand up. The faint sunlight illuminates the den, and I wince as a strong beam of light hits my eyes, the glare bringing a sharp pain. Nobody else is in the den with me. I figure they're about their usual routine, patrols or training. I shake my fur out, rumpled bits of moss and dirt raining from my long pelt.

I draw a paw over my ears and crown, smoothing down the fur that lies messily atop my head. I groom myself in a patch of yellow grass, and I look around the camp. Not much activity; I suspect everyone is out of the clearing for some reason. My pelt pricks as I see something that I've hated since the first time I ever saw it. Silverpaw, teasing Tigerpaw with a soft tail tickling his nose and leading him away from the camp. The dark tom is love-stricken his green eyes, the color of fresh grass in Newleaf, are wide with compassion, as if in some trance.

A growl rumbles in my throat, jealousy clawing at my insides. Silverpaw is beautiful, and ever so coy. She has great qualities, or so it would appear. Humorous, curious, smart and strong, and with a hint of mischievous tendencies, she is the image of perfection within ShadowClan. My eyelids twitch and my feelings of hatred only grows stronger.

_Patience_, a smooth voice whispers into my ear. _All good things come to those who wait._

"The cats who will be going to the Gathering tonight are as follows: Ebonyheart, Frozenleaf, Larkbreeze, Lightstep, Silverpaw, Pebblepaw, and Ravenpaw!" Birchstar announces, his voice deep and ringing through the hollow from atop a small boulder.

A feeling of excitement rushes through me. I've been to Gatherings before, but it is always satisfying to know that you're going. I ignore the annoyance pulsing through me; the fact that Silverpaw is going as well makes me even more angry at the radiant she-cat. I take a meal of a single toad, for I'm not particularly hungry but I know that I will need some energy.

I gulp down the leathery skin slowly, the stringy sinew of the amphibian satisfying to my acquired taste for the ShadowClan prey. I see Tigerpaw carrying a thrush into the elders' den, his head held high so that the bird doesn't get dirty. I paid over to him when he emerges from the bush, trying to not seem agitated or nervous.

"Ravenpaw," the tom greets, dipping his head slightly.

"Hi, Tigerpaw..." It's a little strange; we stopped hanging out when Silverpaw came into the picture.

"Excited for the Gathering?"

"Yes."

"Well, have fun. Silverpaw is going to tell me all about it!" Tigerpaw grins as he catches the clear eyes of his wooing 'mate'. He pads off, assisting a warrior who is carrying a large heap of bramble to patch up some dens. I hear the leader announce that we will embark on the rather large trip to the island; we will have to leave early, as we are certainly a bit further than most. The option of going around the west side of the lake is not accessible at the time, for there have been some Twolegs with dogs specialized for tracking and killing had moved in. Something about the matter made one presume that the family of Twolegs wouldn't be staying long, for their camp was a shabby shelter with a few pegs to keep the dogs in place at night.

As I follow the group out of the entrance of the camp, something bumps me roughly in the side. Silverpaw glares at me with menacing eyes, and smirks as she pushes past me.

"Tigerpaw," she hisses. "Is _mine_!"


	13. Chapter 12

The air is crisp, and as the full moon rises to look down upon ShadowClan, the sky begins to turn a deep indigo. The stars glitter and twinkle, the ancestors of our legends and memories keeping a close eye on those whom they'd left behind. A slight chill passes through the air, currents of cold breeze shifting between our group of cats as we make our way to the Island for the Gathering.

"I suppose the lake will freeze over this leafbare..." I hear one warrior mutter, looking to his left, where the water shines, calm and placid but for the tiny ripples gathering throughout its surface from the draft.

As we approach the large and supporting log that the Clans use to cross over onto the island, I feel a tingle in my paws. I let out a purr, excited for the Gathering. As I step up onto the fallen treetrunk, I feel that the wood is old and slightly molding. Brittle pieces of decaying wood chip off, showering down into the water below. I mind my footwork as I make my way, but as I reach about halfway through, my forelegs knock into something, and I gasp as I tumble into the uncomfortable, numbingly cool lake below.

"Oh great StarClan!" A voice that I know all to well sounds from above as I struggle to keep buoyancy. "I wasn't aware of where I was placing my paws! I am ever-so sorry!"

Silverpaw thrusts her paws out over the side of the wooden crossing, offering to help me out of the water. It is very frigid, and I know that I must not show my distaste for the conceited simpleton. I reach up, and she sinks her claws into my paws. A strained growl rises from my throat as she pulls me up.

"Are you alright, _Fishpaw?" _Silverpaw snickers at her little goad.

"Why did you have to do that, huh?!" I screech, shoving my muzzle into her face. "You always have to make a fool out of me! Why are you such a... Such a pompous, big-headed, fleabitten bully?! What did I ever do in the first place that made you so spiteful?"

Her eyes widen, and she steps back. One step too far; she is sent plummeting into the freezing lake.

_Good, _I seethe inwardly. _I hope she drowns! _

_Ravenpaw! _I hear that deep, silky and authoritative voice of my nightly mentor. _Why must you be so hasty? Now you'll be in trouble, and all because you couldn't have the patience to kill her when she was alone! _

_I'm sorry, Velvetwing... _I apologize to her from inside my head. _You're right. I should finish her off at a better time..._

I realise what I've just said. I am talking about killing my Clanmate as if it was daily chatter! How could I be so... So immoral? So vicious, so cruel... What have I become? And yet I don't feel bad about it at all. It is wrong, and yet somehow I do not care. In fact, I believe that Silverpaw deserves to die! Velvetwing told me not to let anybody get in my way. She told me that it was only fair to dispose of those who had wronged me. And Silverpaw was one of them.

I think all of this, between the conversation with Velvetwing, who simply reminds me that she would train with me the next night instead of tonight (due to the gathering). I am brought back to the present, as groans can be heard and a sodden _plunk _can be heard as Silverpaw is hauled out of the water by a black warrior with dark brown and gray patches and long, silky fur. The warrior's dark nose twitches. This is Ebonyheart, one of the most kind and wise warriors in the current Clans. She'd been here only a season before my birth, and yet she had become so integrated and one of the most seeked-out cats among the lake territories.

"Oh, Ebonyheart! She pushed me straight into the water!" Silverpaw wails. The warrior, soaking this up with a look of pure empathy, brings the drenched apprentice close to her, licking the water from her ears as if she were a mother (which she had never really been before).

"I see that you've both taken a swim," Ebonyheart mews softly, her pale gold eyes shining with some mixture of emotion. "Shake the water out, you two. Yes, that's the way. Let's move on, now."

"B-but she pushed me!" Silverpaw complains, not satisfied that I had not gotten in trouble.

"And by the looks of it, you've pushed her, too!" Ebonyheart remains calm, looking down at the petite little apprentice. "I believe that's a fair arrangement, don't you?" She gives Silverpaw a soft nudge on the flank, and the pristine cat moves along.

Ebonyheart hangs back, walking slowly with me as ShadowClan files into the Gathering Island.

"I-" But I am cut off.

"I know that Silverpaw has been unpleasant with you at times. Maybe she has problems of her own?" The wise and gentle she-cat meows that last bit in the form of a question, but she seems to know the answer.

"How did you know?" I question, looking up at her quizzically. She chuckles softly, her whiskers shuddering.

"I have an observant eye," she replies, and her tail comes to rest upon my flank. "It may be hard for you, Ravenpaw, but just be kind. I know that you've a heart inside, and it's no secret that you have the strength to carry on. You're one of the bravest young cats I know, Ravenpaw! Remember, two wrongs do not make a right. Revenge is not always the answer. Keep true to what you know to be good..." She ends with those words, scampering off to sit among the crowd.

**Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapters, and I apologize for not being frequent! I promise that I will have more free time soon... I've been busy lately. I hope you understand! Thank you for the reviews and support! Remember, more reviews make me motivated to write longer chapters more often. ;3**


	14. Chapter 13

After shaking out my pelt and seeing Ebonyheart scamper off, I decide to mingle with the other cats. All Clans are present; ShadowClan was the last to arrive. I head towards a group of thin and swift-looking cats, but I stop with a snort of disdain when I see that Silverpaw is in the midst of them, telling some boastful tale about hunting or something.

Scanning for a place to fit in, I notice a loner who observes the chatter and visiting cats. He is large, his dark brown fur cascading over his taut muscles. His white underbelly glows slightly in the moonlight, and his big paws are planted in the dirt, as if tense and uncomfortable. And then, our eyes meet, my bright and cold blue eyes catching the unsteady glare of his hazel ones. It is then that I realise who this cat is.

"Rowanpaw!" I mew excitedly. I pad up to him with a new spring in my step. He frowns a little, hissing slightly as he warns me:

"Ravenpaw, hush! Don't let anybody know we've met before... We could get caught!" His hazel eyes are full of seriousness.

"Oh, stop worrying like a fly in a web! If anyone questions, I'll just tell 'em that we saw each other on patrols." I shrug as I tell him this. He nods, and a smile replaces the former frown. He purrs, and I touch my nose to his in greeting.

"I was quite impressed by your fighting techniques," Rowanpaw compliments, and I can tell by his tone and his expression that he is sincere. "Your finesse, speed, determination... It all makes for a great warrior. I'm sure Velvetwing was content with your work."

I tilt my head, grinning at the compliment. "Thanks," I reply. "You're strong too! With that fur, I couldn't even get a good grip! But your scruff is still big and that might be a setback. As long as you use your weight to your advantage, it probably won't be a problem."

He nods in agreement, licking his chest fur in what I assume must be a bit of embarrassment at my returned commendation. I wonder why he stays so far away, but I suppose that it doesn't really matter. The open space of the island allows everyone to hear what the leaders have to say, so long as they are quiet and actually listen.

Then, we hear a voice that rises above everyone else's. A golden-brown tom with a tuft of fur on top of his head looks down upon us. He looks a bit too prideful for my liking. He appears very toned and full of strength. His dark blue eyes are youthful. He is a young leader.

"ThunderClan fares well," he remarks. "But I am sad to say that my great grandmother, Firestorm, has passed on recently. May StarClan light her path... She is now with my ancestors, including Lionblaze and Cinderheart and all their family... Anyways, prey is running alright and there have been no recent border skirmishes. Thank you," and the tom allows the RiverClan leader to speak.

"We wish Firestorm a great afterlife, Goldstar," the female leader condoles with a dip of her light brown head. Her brown eyes are hard as she looks over at Birchstar in a threatening manner. From the gossip I've heard, the RiverClan leader is called Fawnstar. She turns to her audience with a dramatic lash of her tail against her white-spotted body.

"RiverClan is strong, and yet we face challenges every day..." She sighs for effect. "With ShadowClan's ruthless attacks and their greedy tendencies to steal prey and land..."

"You know that is not true, Fawnstar. Do not make false claims. You are very aware that you've brought battle to our camp." It is Birchstar, speaking with a calm authority.

But the cold and prestigious Fawnstar would not have it. "We have lost a young cat to the claws of a brutal apprentice. A mother and a father, as well as three litter-mates are now depressed and left without their beloved family member, Streampaw. We mourn her death."

I remember that white she-cat who I battled when RiverClan invaded. I was merely protecting myself! And Fawnstar makes a great fuss about it... Why not just move on?

"Aside from that..." She sniffs bitterly. "We are trying to be strong. It's just so... hard..." Fawnstar does not try to hide her watering eyes. "Excuse me... Olivestar, you may speak now..." And she steps aside.

ShadowClan does not even bother to stick around. Everyone else is already glaring at us in utter disgust. Fawnstar's little pity-speech worked, apparently. Birchstar, with a monotone expression, leads us away. But before I get up, Rowanpaw whispers:

"I'll see you tomorrow night..."

**Sorry for yet another short chapter! Remember, if I get at least 5 reviews each chapter, I am more likely to write longer stories! :3**


	15. Chapter 14

"That was just awful!" Silverpaw complains as ShadowClan enters camp. "How **_dare_** Fawnstar make us look bad?!" Her eyes are narrowed and a sour expression lies on her face.

"Just shut your muzzle," I lash at her. She gives me a stare of detestation.

"If you hadn't murdered that RiverClan cat, then maybe the Clans wouldn't hate us so much!" Silverpaw retorts.

"I was defending myself!" I hiss.

"Sure, sure! _Defending_ yourself... By slitting a throat."

At this, I rake my claws across her nose. I here the nagging yet calm voice of Velvetwing ringing in my ears.

_I told you to wait. Do not get into trouble, Ravenpaw. Get her alone, and then be rid of her... Just like I- I mean __**we**__ planned!_

I nod and stand straight. Silverpaw flashes her teeth at me, and I shrug.

"Do not insult me, Silverpaw," I warn. "What goes around comes right back around... And for some cats, what comes back will hit you three times as hard."

"Pfft... Whatever!" She sniffs and gives a little head toss, and then she drifts off to greet Tigerpaw.

Nobody seems to have seen my little outburst, or if they have, nobody has spoken up about it. Just as well, I suppose, as my action was justifiable in my opinion. We have arrived home early, but after being publicly humiliated in front of the other Clans, everyone is ready to go to sleep. At least I will get a good rest. Velvetwing had told me that I will not be training again until tomorrow night.

As I pad into the apprentices' den, I start pondering about strange things. For example, my nighttime mentor's name. Velvetwing... What in the world is a velvet? Also, if you're completely underwater, why does it not feel wet? Random things like that often pop into my head.

Soon enough, my head clears and a warm calmness surges through me. I close my eyes, for they feel as if they are being pulled down by stones. A slight stinging fades away a moment after I shut my bright emerald eyes; I feel my breathing falling into a steady beat. My heart slows, and my mind ebbs to a dark and abyssal slumber.

* * *

The titter of a finch off in the distance can be heard as I lift my head hazily to the morning sunlight drifting into the den. No dreams had come to me in the night, and I feel energized and well rested. Just a pawful of apprentices are still curled up, asleep in their nests. Even apprentices are allowed breaks sometimes, I suppose.

As I gather myself out of the daze of sleepiness, I look through the entrance of the den and out into the clearing of camp. The darker, somewhat damper soil is imprinted with the pawprints of other cats, whether from this generation or ones before might only be uncovered through further inspection. I lower my chest to the ground, my rump in the air and my spine arching as I perform a luxurious stretch. My tail curls with pleasure at the movement, and a waking yawn escapes my muzzle.

I come to a stand, and I decide to get some prey from the pile. As soon as I approach it, I smell the crisp air that belongs to Tigerpaw. I purr right when he appears beside me, his eyes glistening in the morning sun, like droplets of dew clinging to the moist grass.

"Good morning, Tigerpaw!" I mew, trying to appear cool and collected.

"And to you, Ravenpaw," the handsome tom replies with no romantic emotion whatsoever. He selects a squirrel and pads off to get together with Silverpaw.

_Of course, _I curl my lip at the thought, _they share everything now... He's like her kittypet... Ugh! He will be mine, he **will.** And I will not treat him like I own him, either!_

I take some type of snake, although I am not keen on the specific species. I wonder who could have caught this; it is rare for a snake to be caught as prey, but nonetheless it is enjoyed by ShadowClanners in particular. I have been hungry almost every moment since I've started training with Velvetwing. I gulp it down quickly and look up.

"Ravenpaw, I'm glad you woke up in time to eat..." Lightstep's voice is smooth and gentle, although the sudden presence of her behind me startles me slightly. "We are going hunting. Silverpaw and Bluepaw are coming, as well as Petalcloud! I know that neither Bluepaw or Silverpaw's mentors will be present, but I do believe that she needs to get out a bit more, don't you?"

I nod in agreement, satisfied with the arrangement. Even though Silverpaw will be there, I will not let her bring me down or ruin my day! Determined to catch something better than the snooty little rat, I hold my head high.

"Petalcloud! It's good to see you up for a hunt!" I mew with happiness as my mother joins our lot, with Silverpaw and Bluepaw bounding ahead of her.

"Yes, yes," the beautiful former queen sighs, her gaze still hollow even though she manages a somewhat half-hearted smile. "I decided that I should start contributing to the Clan like I used to..."

I know that my mother was traumatized by her mates death, but it still pains me that she has not gotten at least somewhat over the fact that Blackfeather is gone. Even though he no longer lives, his soul rests in StarClan. I just wished Petalcloud would understand that. It is as if she thinks that he is lost forever, and that everything is over.

"Well," I mew, rubbing my muzzle against her face and purring, "We better go hunting before all the land prey sprout wings and fly. I just hope the birds haven't learned to overtake cats!" I chuckle at this, and my mother gives a little grunt of what I assume is laughter.

* * *

Pine needles litter the forest floor; some are fresh and green, but some are brown and withered. Pine cones scatter around the trees, and the thumping of a cone falling here and there can be heard once in awhile. The first blush of morning shows itself along the horizon, peachy and rosy colors bleeding out into the sky, clouds wispy and still.

_Cr-r-ruck! Cr-r-ruck! _The sound of a single raven perched upon a sable ash tree echoes throughout the territory. I look up, catching the beady glare of the creature. It's gaze bores into me, like dark stones cast into a river, shiny but with no sign of life.

"Alright!" Lightstep meows cheerfully. "Bluepaw, Petalcloud and I will head upwind- there is much shrubbery and things to cover scent, so we should be alright... Ravenpaw and Silverpaw, go downwind! I expect you two to work together if needed and no arguing!"

With that, our party splits into two small groups and we go separate directions. Silverpaw gives me a shove as we begin heading down a slight dip in the terrain.

"I cannot believe I got stuck with _you! _This is absolutely unfathomable!" The beautiful albeit aggravating she-cat complains in that somewhat nasally and bratty voice of hers.

Under my breath, I mutter with a smirk, "Well, _I _will not be stuck with _you_ for much longer..."

_Perfect, Ravenpaw!_ Velvetwing's suave voice sounds off in my head._ But remember to get to an isolated area... We do not want anyone to hear her screech, or smell the blood._

_I know, _I respond in my mind. _Can I torture her? I'll keep a clean kill, I promise..._ I used to be surprised any time that these kinds of thoughts pulsed through me, but now I don't even care. I need my revenge. I have to do this!

_Of course! Have fun, dear!_

That's all I need to hear.

"Silverpaw!" I meow, trying to sound excited, and not the kind of excitement that I am experiencing with the action of killing her awaiting.

"What?" Silverpaw rolls her eyes as she replies sharply.

"I found a nest of chicks! Help me climb and get them!" I point my tail towards a hollowed tree with an empty nest perched on an outstretched branch.

She sounds as if I'd commanded her, as if I'd been dictating. I suppose she thinks better of snapping back, for she mews:

"Fine. Let me go first!"

That is perfectly fine by me. I grin, wide and toothy. I watch as she digs her claws into the bark of a tall and partially bare pine tree. She scoots up to the highest branch, the one with the nest. My expression is one of satisfaction when I see her face turn to a puzzled furrow. I quickly race up the pine tree, silently and quickly. I leap onto the same long branch as her, glaring at her inimically.

"Hey..." Silverpaw's bottom lip quivers around her cuspids. "Th-there's no chicks in this nest!"

"I know." I reply simply. "Don't look down, by the way."

And she does. She peers down at the very steep drop from the branch to the ground. She looks at me with wildly frightened eyes. How stupid she'd been when she decided to climb this tree just to get a few succulent baby birds. How naive!

With that, I swat hardly at her side, and she slips. I catch her by digging my claws into her shoulders and hauling her up. She dangles by her outstretched claws.

"Tried to scare me, huh?" Silverpaw hisses. "Well you've done it! Just wait until I tell Lightstep! Now, get me up, you idiot!"

I smirk. "If I've scared you, good. But that's not all I want to do..."

I dig my claws deeper, and I inhale luxuriously at the smell of blood seeping through her skin. I let my claws retract, and she tightens with fear. Hanging by just her claws, she starts breathing harder. She is beginning to tire.

"Can't hang on, hmm?" I whisper into her ear. "Well, no use trying. Let me help you..."

I push her shoulders, causing her grip to fail. I hear a winded screech escape from her as she plummets, as beautiful as a bluebird's song to my ears. I hear the thud and cracking of bones as she collides with the hard soil below. No amount of pine needles littering the ground could have prevented that crushing sound, that breaking noise.

Heading down the tree headfirst, I hear the whimpering of poor little Silverpaw. Smiling simperingly, I approach the radiant, albeit injured apprentice.

"Please!" She wails. "Don't do this! What did I ever do to you?!"

That stops me dead in my tracks. "_What did you ever do to me?!_" I seethe. "How **dare** you say that! You've taunted me, talked behind my back, embarrassed me multiple times, and stolen Tigerpaw from me! You little cur! Now it is _my _turn!"

My eyes glowing fiercely with blood-lust, I inch closer, until my breath is hot on her face. She is unable to move, for her ribs are cracked and she is in great pain. I pin her, not that I need to. I press my paws on her throat, choking her. Then, a better, more entertaining plan occurs to me. I grip my teeth on her ear, and tear the thin skin away. I smile even wider when I hear the rip and the yowl of pain from her. I do the same to her other ear.

I plunge my claws into her cheeks, piercing holes in her mouth tissue. I peel an eyelid open with a claw, and fasten my teeth onto the eyelid; then I tear that away as well, repeating the process with the other eyelid. How satisfying is her pain, her cries, and the scent of her blood! I grasp her scruff, and drag her through the forest, down to the rushing river just a few fox-lengths away.

Silverpaw's beautiful fur is stained with blood, lacerations from my claws and teeth covering her pelt.

"Not so pretty now, are you?" I sneer.

I slam her head into the current of the river. She is too weak to resist. I feel her life-force ebbing away, her breath becoming shallow. And then she is dead. I again carry her back to the hollow tree that served as bait for this now cooling corpse. Smiling the whole time, I stuff her into the dark space. I do not care if her stench carries into the air. She's dead, and I enjoyed every moment of her murder.


	16. Chapter 15

_The stench of blood is overpowering. I should have done a better job of hiding Silverpaw's body. How will I cover up the scene? How will I be rid of evidence? So many flaws are present in my murderous work. I still enjoyed it. _

_Velvetwing will be proud. Rowanpaw will be impressed. Tigerpaw would admire my strength and power- no, I couldn't tell him... He might tell. What would Ebonyheart think? What would Birchstar think? What would Petalcloud think? Silverpaw's family will be devastated. _

_Oh, StarClan! What have I done?! No. What I did was right. Even if it is against the code, I was in the right place. Or maybe I wasn't... Was I greedy? Silverpaw hated my guts! She bullied me, she basically tortured me! So...killing her was the only solution...right?_

I open my eyes. Drowsy from the groggy sleep, I blink into the dappled evening light. The scent of dry blood clings to my pelt. I feel the cool bark of the tree. The tall tree, the hollowed out tree that I stuffed Silverpaw into. A sickening wave of guilt crashes through me.

But still, the adrenaline of the kill was exciting! I felt invincible, overpowering my enemy like that. I decide that I have to hide any evidence of the murder. Cringing from the smell of already-decaying flesh, I conscientiously anchor my teeth into Silverpaw's scruff. I tug back, easing the carcass out from the woody grave. I cough and gag when the repugnant scent of her decomposing body drifts into my scent glands.

I am unsure of where to stash the dead apprentice. Scanning my surroundings, I drop Silverpaw's scruff for a moment, hearing the gentle thud of her weighty bones. My gaze travels to look upon her face. Those eyes, the eyes who'd never looked at me without a scathing hatred, are now shining darkly. It is as if she is looking to place past me, a place where I cannot even begin to fathom.

I hear the trickling water of the stream rushing a distance away. Maybe if I could just find a way to conceal Silverpaw under that current... I take up the body again. Refraining from vomiting from the powerful fumes of her decay, I drag her along the ground. It is quite a struggle, as she is about the same size as me. Her weight causes me strain, and I huff as my jaw tires.

Finally, after much hassle, I reach the stream with my gross loot in jaw. There are a few boulders scattered about, but I doubt I would be able to uproot them. The wide river glides by at a gathering pace. The speed of the current picks up little by little, as if daring me to do something about it. Prodding Silverpaw into the river with an unsteady force, I dump her body into the water before me. I swallow hard as her body catches between two boulders who's heads barely surface the water.

Silverpaw looks somewhat alive again, her tail waving with the current of the stream. Her fur is soaked, and I can see the sparkle of water pouring into her slack mouth. It is too sickening to watch. But I must get rid of her. I dig up some small stones, trying to whip them at her to release her from the heavy rocks' grasp. Tossing my head to fling those stones at her, I think of what I will say when others inquire about her absence.

Silverpaw's carcass is finally freed, and it is picked up by the water's steady pulse. Relieved, I turn to go back home. Alas, my job is not done yet. I must cover up my tracks! Hesitant, I turn back to the stream's waters. I know that if I stand in it long enough, most of the scent should be erased. I gingerly step out into the banks of the river, the cold water rushing around my paws.

I wade deeper, hoping to let it be done quickly. This is the stream in which I discarded a murdered cat. A cat that _**I**_ murdered. I let myself sink into the water, the cold liquid dragging my long fur down. After a bit of standing with the water lapping at my belly, I kick my legs to splash away the scent of Silverpaw. Retreating back to dry land, I shake my pelt out and return to the tree where I had stuffed Silverpaw's body. I collect at much mulch as I can from the forest around me, piling it into the tree. I also scuffle up the drag marks from me carrying her to the stream.

I sigh, finally through with it. No more Silverpaw; no more worrying! I race back to camp, delighted that I will no longer have to deal with Silverpaw's ridicule. I can have Tigerpaw, and we can be happy together! Padding into camp with an air of confidence around me, I strut up to Tigerpaw, who is basking in the sunlight in a patch of green grass.

"Hey, Tigerpaw!" I purr happily. He blinks back.

"Umm... Hi? Weren't you supposed to be back a while ago? Lightstep and the others came back without you, and they were going to send out a patrol if you and Silverpaw didn't show up. Where is Silverpaw, by the way? We were gonna go-"

"Well- um..." I stop him short, a bit of a nervous stutter coming to my throat. "I thought Silverpaw was back here already?" Once the lie begins, it comes smoothly and ready on the tip of my tongue. I am a bit surprised at how easy it is. "She and I went separate ways when we were teamed up for hunting. She didn't want to be around me- she's got a bad attitude towards me, I guess. Anyways, I'm sure that she's lurking around somewhere!"

I chuckle, half out of guilt and half in an attempt to bring light onto the situation. But there is nothing light about death. Nothing about murder is in any way light.

"Oh." Tigerpaw sounds upset. "Well, I hope she turns up soon... We were going to have a walk together..."

"I could walk with you?" I suggest, trying to charm him. "I've always... I've always kind of had this little crush on y-"

"Sorry, Ravenpaw... I'm too worried about Silverpaw to do anything right now!" Tigerpaw interrupts, his eyes gleaming with worry. He looks as if he hadn't even heard what I was going to say!

"Are you sure?" I ask, a hint of pleading on the edge of my voice.

"Yes, I'm sure. I love Silverpaw. I love her so much, and I... I just need to wait for her to be back. I don't know what I'd do without her, ya know?"

"Oh." Now it's _my _turn to sound disappointed.

After hearing those words come from his muzzle, I know that I don't even have a chance. He loves Silverpaw, and he always will. He won't ever change his mind about that. I'm just a friend. I never thought that being a friend could feel so dreadful.

My heart thumps up into my throat. I killed her for nothing. My one goal was to gain Tigerpaw's love. I wanted to be his mate! But no, I cannot have that. I became a murderer...for nothing.

I turn around, tears gathering to my eyes. Beads of oily tears drip down my face, and I run. I run to get away from the guilt, and I run to get away from my failure. Each tear represents a thing that I have lost...

_Innocence, love, purity, courage... Life._


	17. Chapter 16

"_Wonderful_ job, Ravenpaw! Great kill, and you covered it up decently... I'm proud of you!" I hear Velvetwing's words, but they pass right through me.

"Velvetwing... I did it all for nothing!" I sob. "Tigerpaw will never love me... And they could find out any time! I can't face my Clan again, I just can't!"

"Oh hush!" The crimson cat cuffs me over the head. "You got _revenge, _didn't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then you've nothing to sulk about. Now wake up and get back to your Clan!"

"But," I sigh, "I've been running for days now. Can I not rest?"

"Just go! Make me even more proud. This was just your first kill... There shall be many more! You want power, don't you?"

"I do. If I can't at least have Tigerpaw, then I have nothing more to lose. I will make you proud... I'll make everyone realize that I'm not just a stupid apprentice! I'll lead the Clans, and they'll be grateful!"

"Nicely put, my dear," Velvetwing purrs. "Now go. You've got much to do.

I wake up, shake the sleepiness from my body, and stand. I go over what Velvetwing told me. Nobody would just allow me to take over! I don't have an army, and certainly there aren't many cats who would back me up!

_Then I'll just have to get an army...  
_

I look around, and spot the Twoleg Place across the lake. Surely there are lots of cats there who would be glad to go into submission for a chance at a better life! I purr at the thought of it. Running at a full pace, I dash across the Greenleaf Twoleg Place and hit the marshy territory of RiverClan. I roll around in a patch of mud to conceal my scent.

"That should do," I tell myself. "Now I should reach my destination within a day..."

Suddenly, I hear fronds of tall marsh grass rustling. As soon as I turn around, a dark, muscled body is on top of me. I yowl in surprise, then look up.

"Rowanpaw!" I giggle.

"Ravenpaw!" He replies deeply. "What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to collect an army! Velvetwing told me-"

"That you could take over the Clans and provide a better ruling?" Rowanpaw chuckles.

"Yeah... How did you know?"

"She just told me the same thing! Time to prove my father wrong!"

"Huh?" I tip my head.

"Long story..." He mumbles. "Anyways, I'll come with you!"

"Alright then! A few moons- I assume it may take time- we'll have an unbeatable army!" I meow excitedly.

"Hey, Ravenpaw?"

"Hmm?"

"Uh... Never mind."

"Okay... Let's go then!"

Padding alongside each other, Rowanpaw and I form a plan. We will travel for a while, gather a giant assembly of cats, train them, and conquer the Clans. As we cross the river, it's current at a placid pace, I stumble and fall into the water.

"Are you okay, Ravenpaw?" Rowanpaw hurries to my side and helps me out, guiing me to the other end of the river.

I shake out my pelt.

"I'm fine..." I laugh. "Just not used to the water..."

Skirting the lake and passing the Horseplace, we finally gain access to the TwolegPlace. Right as we step onto the rather strange black stone, we see a lithe, lanky cat grooming herself at the entrance. As soon as we are spotted, she leaps up and confronts us. She is scruffy and her dark calico pelt sticks out at all angles. Her sky-blue eyes are narrowed with wariness, and one of her fangs pokes out and touches her bottom lip.

"Who are-" She begins, then rests her gaze on Rowanpaw. "Rowanpaw? Did Velvetwing give you the same mission?"

"Hello, Dapplepaw. Yes, Ravenpaw and I had received the plan as well."

"Ravenpaw? I haven't seen her in nightly training..." Dapplepaw bores her golden eyes into mine.

"I've been training in the Place of No Stars for almost all of my apprenticeship," I speak out. "I suppose you'll be joining us. Even if we haven't met, any student of Velvetwing's is an ally of mine!" I purr.

"Well, okay then..." Dapplepaw meows. "Shall we be on our way?"

**Author's Note: SO sorry about the short chapters, and I apologize for not updating for a while. I've been very busy lately... And with school starting back up in a couple weeks, I have to prepare. I also have vacation soon! X3 Anyways, thank you for being patient! I will try and update sometime later... :3**


	18. Chapter 17

With Dapplepaw and Rowanpaw at my flanks, I make my way through the winding Twoleg Place. I don't even have to look around to know that we are being watched. I can _feel_ the cold, harsh glares of the cats slinking around the area. All of them have the same body builds: sickly and starved. Mangy, flea-bitten (literally) pelts that smell of carrion and sickness are plastered to their thin skin.

Just as I begin to soak the scene in, a pure black blur dashes from the shadows. A muscled, toned black tom stares at us from his poised-to-strike position. His light green eyes, while vivid in color, seem dull and empty.

"What are you doing here?!" He demands with a hiss.

"We're just passing through," I reply smoothly.

"Well you better not be staying long! We cannot afford to waste our resources on strangers like yourselves. I suggest you turn around right now. There's no use for you to come here anyways." He spits. When he parts his jowls, I can see his yellow teeth poking out.

"Can you explain?" I ask, wanting to sympathize with the cat.

"I'm pretty sure you can see that we're starving. It's a fight every day around here!" The black tom explains. "You can't get away with more than a scrap of roadkill without getting thrown in the middle of a fight or bombarded by Shredder's posse."

"Shredder?" Meows Rowanpaw.

"He's kind of the boss around here. A leader, if you will. Although not all of us follow him. I personally despise him. He runs around like he owns the alleyways. Not to mention his guards. He keeps about three guards with him wherever he goes. And don't even get me started on his mate and kits..."

I let him speak, only because I get a feeling that if I interrupt him, he'll go off on me.

"Harley probably only became his mate to suck up and get a part in the higher rank... And that daughter of his! I say, she acts like she's better than everyone else. His son, his son does whatever he wants..."

"It sounds like Shredder has a lot of power around here, hmm?" Dapplepaw steps in.

The black tom nods.

"Would you mind telling us where he lives?" I ask courteously.

"Just keep going this way," the tom replies, flicking his tail to the left. "When you smell the overpowering stench of rot and death, and see all the cats gathered in an alleyway, that's Shredder's camp. But don't mention that I told you. He hates to be bothered."

"Thank you, um..."

"Edgar. My name's Edgar. But don't tell Shredder anything about me!" He snaps, and dashes off.

"What an odd name, probably a former kittypet." Dapplepaw remarks.

I nod, and move on. If Shredder is the source of power here, it would be best to appeal to him and gather his ranks to help me conquer the territories.

It isn't hard to find. Edgar was right about the stench. I see why as I make a turn. Piles of dead, flattened birds and animals are piled in the center of the area, with bones and other rubbish around it. Cats are strewn around, and I see four muscular cats lined in front of a large pile of something I've never seen before. On top of the pile is a brown and white tom with a sleek pelt. Under the pelt, I can see his taut muscles. His claws are outgrown and sharp, and he keeps them unsheathed. His burning yellow eyes observe the area. His gaze falls on me and he mutters something to his guards.

The cats who'd been lined up in front of the muscular cat, presumably Shredder, immediately came upon us, pinning us to the ground within seconds.

"Speak for yourselves!"


End file.
